Army Ordered Massive Return Fire When Civilians Present

[kpete]

Army Ordered Massive Return Fire When Civilians Present


By Sherwood Ross

opednews.com

For OpEdNews: Sherwood Ross - Writer

Three former U.S. soldiers involved in the infamous "Collateral Murder" helicopter gunship attack on Baghdad civilians in July 2007, say that attack was nothing out of the ordinary. The massacre---that killed more than a dozen Iraqis, two of them employed by Reuters News Service---ignited a wave of international revulsion against the U.S. military when a video of the massacre was released by WikiLeaks last April.

"What the world did not see is the months of training that led up to the incident, in which soldiers were taught to respond to threats with a barrage of fire---a "wall of steel," in Army parlance---even if it put civilians at risk," report Sarah Lazare and Ryan Harvey in the August 16th issue of The Nation magazine.

Former Army Specialist Josh Stieber said that newly arrived soldiers in Baghdad were asked if they would fire back at an attacker if they knew unarmed civilians might get hurt in the process. Those who did not respond affirmatively, or who hesitated, were "knocked around" until they realized what was expected of them, added former Army Specialist Ray Corcoles, who deployed with Stieber.

A third former Army specialist, Ethan McCord, said his battalion commander gave orders to shoot indiscriminately after attacks by improvised explosive devices. "Anytime someone in your line gets hit by an IED"you kill every motherf*cker in the street," McCord quotes him as saying.

more:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Army-Ordered-Massive-Retur-by-Sherwood-Ross-100813-541.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Winning the hearts and minds--

OK, more like scattering the innards of the populace.

[gratuitous]

2. "You kill every motherfucker in the street"

Gee, I can't imagine why that ungrateful rabble hates our occupation! I mean, imagine how safe and secure you'd feel with foreign troops, armed to the teeth, and with itchy trigger fingers walking up and down your hometown streets. It'd be security mecca, it would! Oh sure, some of your hot-headed neighbors might object, and then those foreign troops would be perfectly justified in sweeping the street with a wall of steel. If you or one of your family members happened to be in the vicinity, well, that would be unfortunate, but understandable. Right?